Professor Layton and the Halloween Caper
by deathfox13
Summary: A month has passed since the last case. And to have fun on their last day together, Layton, Luke and Flora all decided to go to the costume party being held at a nearby mansion. The whole town was invited, after all. But what will Layton do when a lot of things go wary? *Sequel to Professor Layton and the Town of Cats*
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- Invited to the Party

The days flew by quickly. Soon, it was October already and nearly a month has passed since the last case. The cold gentle breeze blew softly as a man named Hershel Layton walked down the sidewalk, carrying a bag. He went into his house, closing the door behind him. Luke was just coming down from upstairs when he saw Professor Layton carrying a bag.

"Is that what I think it is?" Luke asked, looking excited.

Layton chuckled. "It is." He answered.

"Oh boy! Flora! It's here!" Luke shouted, going back upstairs.

"Really?!" Flora replied with equal enthusaism.

The two raced downstairs and saw Layton in the living room, taking out the costumes from the bag.

"I must say, the quality is quite good." Layton remarked as he took out a black cape. He felt the fabric between his fingers and smiled.

"Let me see mine!" Luke said and started to shuffle the contents of the bag. He took out a white shirt with purple pants. It also came with a white, arabian-looking hat. "My Aladdin costume! Just in time for tonight!"

"Yay! My Alice costume is here!" Flora exclaimed as she took out the blue dress from the bag.

Layton took out the rest of his costume. Black shirt, black pants and a black mask. He put aside the black sombrero.

"Professor! You can't be Zorro without a black sombrero!" Flora said.

"But Flora, He can't be Professor Layton without his top hat! Besides, he'll be some kind of unique top-hatted Zorro!" Luke told Flora.

Layton chuckled. "I like the sound of that." He glanced at the grandfather clock in the living room. It was already six o'clock in the evening.

"We better get ready if we want to get to the party on time."

"Right!" "Okay!" came the response of the two bright and young kids.

And just after an hour, they were all set and ready to go. Layton picked up their invitation and put it inside his pocket. They went out of house and locked the place. Outside, there were several people in costumes, all headed towards the same place. From what he knows, this was the first time someone hosted a costume party and invited almost all people in town.

"C'mon Professor! They might run out of free candies if we don't get there quickly." Luke said, as he noticed all the people headed to the party.

"No need to rush, my boy. I'm pretty sure there would be plenty of candies for everyone." Layton said. He planned to give them his candies later. He wasn't really fond of sweets.

"Still, we might be late! And a true gentleman always comes on time!" Luke said and started to dash towards the mansion. The truth was he just wanted to enjoy his last moments with the Professor. It was their last day, after all.

"If they didn't ran out of Wonderland themed costumes, he could have been the White Rabbit...And you're the Mad Hatter!" Flora said as they both followed Luke.

"Still, you don't see a top-hatted Zorro everyday, do you?" Layton said, joking around. This day is reserved for fun and for fun only. He can loosen up a little today.

Flora giggled. "I guess not." She replied.

While Luke was running he bumped into a man accidentally, making the said man drop his gummy bears.

"Sorry!" Luke apologized. He looked at the man. He was wearing a white, long-sleeved t-shirt. His black hair was messy and...were those a few strands of blond hair he saw? The man was also wearing faded-out baggy pants and worn-out sneakers.

"It's alright. I'll get plenty of candies later. The party's giving out free candies, after all."

"So you're going to the party, too? Awesome! What's going to be your costume?" Luke asked, happy to make a friend.

"Actually, I'm already wearing it." The man said and pulled his black wig off, revealing his blond hair underneath. "I'm going as L. He's from an anime I used to watch."

"Oh, I see. Interesting."Luke remarked as the man put his wig back on, fixing it so that his hair won't show.

"My name is Christoper Cruz, by the way. Nice to meet you...uh..."

"Luke Triton! Apprentice number one! Nice to meet you, Chris." Luke said and smiled.

"Luke Triton, you say? So that means...you're that kid that goes with that Professor, right?" Chris asked.

Luke nodded, earning a smile from Chris.

"Well, I'll be...It's not everyday I meet up with someone well-known. So where's the Professor?"

"He's right be-..."Luke said and turned around. He couldn't see Layton nor Flora. "Uh oh...I think I got separated from them..."

"He's headed to the party, right? Let's just stick together until we find him." Chris proposed.

"Alright, sounds like a plan to me." Luke said as they both started to walk until they reached the mansion's yard. Soon enough, Luke spotted a top hat among the crowd.

"I think I see him!" Luke said as he approached Layton. But this Layton was a bit shorter than he remembered...and he was wearing his usual attire, brown coat and orange turtleneck shirt.

"Professor...why are you...?"Luke started but was surprised when 'Layton' turned around. He...was a she.

"Professor? I guess my costume is really good, then!" the girl said as she turned around and saw Luke and Chris. She gasped and squeeled in delight.

"Oh my god! Luke Triton, right!?" the girl asked.

Luke smiled. "That would be me."

The girl let out a high-pitch squeel. "If you're here, then Professor Layton is nearby!"

Luke stepped back from the girl, afraid she might start hyperventilating. Just as he was about to say that he got separated with the Professor, somebody called his name.

"Luke! There you are!" Flora said. She glared and pouted at the young man. "You shouldn't go so fast! We can't catch up with this crowd!"

Layton was right behind Flora. "Flora's right, Luke." He then saw the girl dressed as him. He chuckled. "My, it seems I have a fan..."he remarked.

"Sorry, Professor." Luke apologized.

"Ah! Professor Layton!" the girl said and went to the man. She took his hand and shook it. "My name is Alice and you inspire me quite a lot! "

"My name's Christoper. It's nice to meet you in person, Professor." Chris introduced himself. After that, he turned to Luke and said, "I guess this is where we part ways."

"Aw, why not join us? The more, the merrier, like they said!" Luke said.

"I'll go with you guys, too. It'll be fun!" Alice said.

"Well, I don't see a problem with this so..."Layton said and smiled. "Let's all go together."

"I heard there's a haunted room in that mansion..."Flora said as she stared at the door. It was still locked, though. Just like it said in the letter. _'The door will open at the seventh toll of the bell...be ready.'_

"Interesting..." Luke said and looked at the door as well. Alice stood beside Luke, Chris beside Flora. Layton stood in front of the group. They soon heard a bell in a distance. A lot of people whispered among themselves, excited.

One...Two...Three...

The whisperings stopped and all the people stared at the mansion, all lights suddenly turned off.

Four...Five...Six...

A howl was heard. Ravens landed on the trees that had lost all their leaves and started to caw.

Seven...

Everybody tensed. Flora gripped the Professor's coat. Luke was starting to get scared but he kept a brave face. Chris placed his thumb on lips, smiling crookedly. Alice stared at the door in anticipation. Layton looked straight on. Something was bothering him at the back of his mind but he ignored it. Maybe it was just the atmosphere...maybe.

The door slowly opened and smoke started to pour out of the now opened doorway. There was nothing but darkness. Then, a voice echoed from inside.

"Welcome...to my mansion..."

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**That was chapter one! So what do you guys think :D? Reviews are loved and Criticism is adored!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2~ I hope it wasn't too much of a wait!**

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Chapter 2- Of Candies, Mysteries and Magic

There was few moments of silence. Then, a lot of people started to head towards the door. Some people already went home with their kids, seeing as some of the children were scared out of their wits. But still, there were a lot of other children who stayed.

Layton and the others tried to keep themselves in each other's sight. But with the incoming mob of people, they soon got separated. Once inside,some dim lights opened and they noticed that the living room was large. It didn't even look like a living room. It looked more like a ballroom hall. There was a stair in the middle which split into two, one to the left and one to the right. There was a long table on the side with food, candies and punch.

Layton looked around and spotted the group. At least they were together where he can see them. There was a poof of smoke at the top of the stair, just right before it splits into two. The top-hatted man glanced at the stairs. As the smoke slowly faded away, a man stood.

The man had short messy brown hair. He wore a black mask that only covered his eyes and a black tuxedo. The man looked around and smirked.

"Welcome, one and all. I am Tom Riddle, a humble magician and your host for tonight's grand party." He announced.

Everybody clapped. The man raised his fist and everybody fell silent. He started to walk but didn't step down the steps. Instead, the man had started to walk on thin air.

"Unbelievable!" "Wow!" "How's he doing that?" Several people remarked as the man slowly descended. The crowd formed a circle around the man, giving him a lot of space.

"Tonight is a night of magic...of adventures..." he announced. He looked at the crowd and his eyes fell upon a person whose costume was unique. A top-hatted zorro.

"And of mysteries..."he finally said as he smirked. With a snap of his finger, a pigeon appeared at the man's hand.

"This is amazing!" Flora remarked.

"Flora, the Professor said there's always some kind of trick behind these magic tricks."Luke said, watching the man's hands carefully. But he couldn't really see how the magician did that.

"The pigeon could have been in his sleeve..."Chris said.

"Nah, impossible. If it was, his sleeve would have a buldge a while ago." Alice said.

The pigeon flew off and vanished into thin air. "I need a volunteer for my next trick." The man said. Instantly, hands flew up in the air. Flora raised her hand as well.

"Yes! You, young lady." The magician pointed at Flora.

Flora gasped. Her face clearly showed that she was excited and anxious at the same time. Just as she took one step forward, Luke grabbed her hand.

"Are you sure about this, Flora?"Luke said, worried. He was impressed but still, after his encounter with Kaito Kid, he had grown a bit of distrust with magicians. It was probably the card thing.

"I'll be fine, Luke!" Flora said and smiled. Luke let go of her hand reluctantly. Something just doesn't feel right.

"You know, usually on movies, when someone says they'll be fine...they won't be."Chris said and glanced at Luke. The blue-hatted boy looked like he just had a mini heart attack and froze on the spot.

Alice glared at him. "Not really nice, you know." She was worried as well, but the man looks like an expert so she wasn't really THAT worried.

Chris laughed and patted Luke's back. "I'm just kidding."

Layton kept silent as he continued watching the 'show'. Flora stood beside the man as he took out a deck of cards from his pocket.

"Let's start with something simple...what is your favorite animal?" the man asked.

"Umm...I guess rabbits are nice." Flora answered.

"Pick a card." The man ordered and showed her the deck of cards. "You can pick from anywhere in this deck."

Flora tapped her chin then decided to pull one in the middle. She looked at it and gasped.

"It's so cute!" She exclaimed. The magician took the card and showed it. It was a white rabbit.

The children clapped. Most of the adults didn't really paid attention. It was just a simple trick, after all.

The man then took of his cape. "Now, I'm going to make her disappear." He leaned and whispered into Flora's ear.

"Don't move or else, I won't able to make you visible."

Flora stiffened and tried not to move. The man put the cape in front of her, blocking her view. He slowly turned it around her. It felt like nothing happened. She looked around and saw the people clap.

"She was really there a while ago! I saw her back!" one of the people in the audience shouted.

"Unbelievable!" "What kind of sorcery is this?!"

Tom did the trick again, making Flora reappear. "Thank you. You may know go back to the crowd." He said.

Flora smiled. "Your welcome." She said and went back to Luke and the others.

"How did it feel like?!" Alice asked, amazed.

"Well, it was...normal. I just stood there, to be honest. I didn't even know if I was really invisible!" Flora said.

"Hm. The man is good...too good to be true." Chris remarked.

"Phew. At least, nothing bad happened. Right?" Luke said and wiped his brow.

"I told you I'll be fine." Flora said. "...has anybody seen the Professor?"

"I think he's right over there." Luke said and pointed to a part of a crowd. The top hat was there.

"I see. Why don't we go over hi-" Flora was cut off when the ground shook terribly.

"It's an earthquake!" somebody shouted.

Layton's eyes widened and he gasped. He quickly ran to the four. "Everybody! Hide under the table."

The four nodded and quickly went under the nearest table, some people following their example.

Everybody looked around, panicking. There were children crying, people who rushed to the door only to find it locked, and people who stood frozen in shock. But amidst the panicking people, Tom remained, standing in the same place with no signs of emotion. The chandelier's chain was suddenly cut and fell upon the magician.

The earthquake instantly disappeared just as it had started. The place was a mess as things fell down and broke.

"Oh my..."Layton said as they approached the fallen chandelier. Others went near it as well, forming a circle around it. Nobody expected this. It was supposed to be a grand party, not a disaster.

"What's with that sad look upon your faces...?" a voice echoed and laughed. Everybody looked at the stairs and saw Tom, alive and well.

"How..." a man in the crowd muttered.

"A magician never tells their secrets, especially for thir greatest and final act of the evening." Tom responded, going downstairs normally.

The whole crowd bursted in applause. Tom Riddle bowed and smiled. He then instructed two men from the sides. They left and came back with a lot of other people, all carrying balloons. They freed the balloons. With a snap of the magician's fingers, the balloons bursted and candies had started raining down on them.

"Hooray! Candies!" A lot of the kids shouted and started to pick the candies on the floor. Some held their bags out and let the candies fall inside.

"Wow! I think we have enough candies to last for a year!" Luke exclaimed, seeing that his bag was bursting with candies.

Chris had picked one up and took off the wrapper. He popped the clear candy into his mouth. His eyes widen.

"HOLY CHEESE! THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST CANDY I HAVE EVER TASTED! AND IT'S STRAWBERRY!" he exclaimed, sounding like a kid on a sugar rush...which he might be. Layton chuckled. It would be quite funny if his tasted like tea.

Flora looked at Chris and ate one as well. She gasped. "He's right! It is good! Mine is lemon flavor though..."

"Hmm..."Luke thought about it and decided to try one as well. His eyes looked like they were sparkling. "Bubblegum!"

Alice stared at the candy in her hand. "If it's that good, I'm saving it for later." She said and put it in her pocket.

"That is all for my show. You may wander around a bit the mansion if you like. The door is also open for those who wish to leave..." the magician had announced and left.

Layton watched as Tom disappeared in a hallway.

"Luke, Flora. Stay here. I'm going to see a friend." He said and left the group.

"Alright, Professor." Luke replied and looked at the group. "What should we do now...?"he asked.

"Since the host said we can wander around, why don't we?" Chris asked.

"But the Professor told us to stay here."Flora said.

"We'll be back quickly." Chris said.

"But shouldn't we follow the Professor's words?" Alice said.

Chris sighed. It was three against one. "All right...Anyway, do you know who the Professor is meeting up with?"

Flora and Luke shook their heads. "Now that you mention it...I'm quite curious..." Luke said.

Flora thought a little. "The Professor said to stay here...but...I think it won't be bad if we follow him... Just a little peek to see who he's going to talk to..."

"But!" Alice intervened.

Chris smirked. "I guess we're exploring a little then."

"Okay...but we're returning here immediately." Alice said and put her hands on her hips. She fixed the top hat on her head.

"Okay! It's settled then!" Chris exclaimed as he lead the group down the hallway Layton disappeared to. And with that, their little expedition began...

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**And that was Chapter 2! I do hope I did not bore you to death XP Again, Reviews are loved and criticism is adored :D Hope you tune in for Chapter 3~**


	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize for the long wait. I had just started college and have a busy schedule. But I'll still try to update this story. Again, I apologize.**

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Chapter 3- Lost

Their footsteps echoed in the empty hall. The group stayed close to each other. On the walls, various paintings hung. There were shelves filled with antiques. The place was so eeriely silent that it felt like they were the only ones in the mansion.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea. Let's go back already." Alice said, looking around.

"I can't really see where he could've disappeared to...I mean there's only one way..."Chris said and placed his thumb against his lips.

"Ugh...I wish Genie was here." Luke muttered.

"Genie?" Alice asked and stared at him like he was crazy.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

Alice wanted to ask about it but decided against it. She shook her head. "Just wondering why you said 'Genie'...but you are dressed up as Aladdin..."

"Let's just go back." Chris said and started to walk back. He put his hands in his pockets and walked slouched.

"It's not healthy to walk slouched, Chris. Walk with a straight back." Alice scolded.

"Hm? I'm used to walking this way..." he replied.

Alice sighed. The truth was she was starting to get unnerved by the surroundings. She also noted how strange it was that the music in the living room couldn't be heard when they really haven't gotten that far. Soon, she realized why.

"Guys...do you remember this wall being here?" Alice asked as they faced a dead end.

Everybody shook their heads.

"Maybe we made a wrong turn?" Luke suggested.

Chris shook his head. "It's impossible. There was only one way."

Flora then heard something run behind them. She gasped. "The white rabbit!"

"The who now?" Alice asked.

Flora didn't bother with Alice's question and dashed off. "Wait! Please wait!" she shouted.

"Flora!" Alice shouted and ran after her. Before Luke and Chris could follow, the ground shook and the floor below them opened.

"What the?!" they both shouted as they fell into the darkness.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Alice soon caught up to Flora, who was standing in the middle of a small room.

"What has gotten into you?! Running of like that!" Alice scolded.

"I'm sorry...but I really don't know why I did that..."Flora said, looking ashamed.

"And what is with the white rabbit thing?" Alice asked, hands on her hip.

"White rabbit?" Flora asked, confused.

"You shouted 'the white rabbit' a while ago before you dashed off..."Alice explained.

"Oh..."Flora said, "Curiouser and curiouser..."

"Let's just go back to the others..." Alice said and tried opening the door they went through but it was locked.

"What the..."she muttered as she jiggled the doorknob. It was definitely locked.

"Great...What are we supposed to do now?" Alice complained as she looked around the room.

"Maybe there's a puzzle here that could help us..." Flora muttered and started to search around. Soon, she had a triumphant look upon her face.

"Aha! A hidden puzzle!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Ow...What the..."Luke muttered, rubbing his bottom. He looked around and examined the room they were in. It was dimly lit but it was better than no light at all. He then saw Chris looking up.

"We made quite a fall..." he commented. Chris then glanced at Luke. "Are you alright? Can you stand up?"

"I think so..." Luke said and slowly stood up. "I wasn't expecting this to happen."

"None of us were." Chris said and watched as the floor slowly closed. "...and now, we're stuck here for the mean time."

"Man, I never learn..."Luke muttered to himself and sighed.

"Technically, it's my fault. But the top priority right now is finding a way to meet up with Flora and Alice." Chris said as he took a lamp from the table. He went around a saw a single wooden door. He pushed it and it slowly creaked open, revealing a dark hallway.

"Well?" Chris asked, looking back at Luke.

Luke gulped. "A-alright. Lead the way." He muttered and went behind Chris. They started to walk down the hallway, the only thing that illuminated the darkness was the lamp in Chris' hand. They found doors along the way but all of them were locked.

Soon, they found a couple of antiques lined up against the wall.

"It looks like displays from the museum." Luke commented as they walked.

"I don't think it's the real thing, though." Chris said.

"It looks so familiar though. But where have I seen displays like this?" Luke asked himself. Chris shrugged.

"Maybe it's a copy of some place before. Perhaps it was also a museum." He said.

The sound of breaking glass interrupted their conversation. They both looked behind them and saw a fire starting behind them. They exchange a quick look at each other and the message was clear.

'Oh shit'...

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**Well, that was chapter 3~ I know it's not as good as the ones before but please bear with me for now. As soon as my schedule clears up, I'll try to update again a little bit faster. I'm not even sure if there's somebody reading this XD anyway, Reviews and Criticisms are both loved and adored.**


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